Final Dam in the $450 Million Klamath River Project is Under Deconstruction

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — The John C. Boyle Dam was breached yesterday in the final stages of a $450 million project that is hoped will restore salmon to the Klamath River.

Salmon Population Will be Restored

This is the fourth and final hydroelectric dam being removed to allow the river to run free, hopefully restoring the populations of salmon, Chinook and coho to the ancestral breeding grounds that previously fed Klamath Tribes.

This vital source of food disappeared when the four Klamath River dams obstructed access to salmon breeding grounds.

In a news release, the Klamath Tribes say that the project should be completed by November, after the dismantling of the John C. Boyle is completed. Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams have already been removed. The Klamath Tribes say if successful, the return of salmon will once again provide ancestral food to the tribal communities that had always relied on the annual return of salmon to supply their staple food source.

Apart from fish returning to their natural habitat, it is hoped that the Klamath River project will restore the ecosystem to its original condition. The revegetation of the riverbanks involves planting more than 17 billion seeds of indigenous plants collected by officials in preparation for the seeding project.

Dwindling Numbers of Salmon Severely Impacted the California Commercial Fishing Industry

West Coast salmon stocks have been declining for decades, severely affecting the commercial fishing industry.

Both commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishing was closed for the second consecutive year in April by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). The decision was made because of the dwindling numbers of adult salmon returning to California rivers.

The salmon industry used to generate $1.4 billion annually, but the steep decline of stock along the West Coast dried up that vital source of income.

When salmon was still plentiful, 7,000 commercial fishing permits were issued in California annually. Today, that number has dropped below 1,000, while 50% of the fishing vessels lie dormant.

The current situation is described as ‘a major economic disaster for once thriving businesses and communities,’ by the Northwest Regional Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Glen Spain. Using Crescent City as an example, Spain says their salmon hauls have been reduced by 95%.

The four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River blocked fishing habitat. Further impacts were that river water was diverted for crop spraying and to supply cities. By removing the dams, barriers preventing the return of salmon will disappear and the river will be returned to its original state.

Klamath Tribes are hopeful that the river will regain its status as one of the biggest salmon producing rivers on the West Coast.